Police Plan Drug Take Back

Nothing good can come of keeping unused prescription medications around the house or disposing of them improperly. So, the Prince William Police Department along with the Manassas Police Department will work with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 to get those medications off medicine cabinet shelves.

The “National Take-Back Day” initiative seeks to prevent pill abuse and theft and to provide people a safe and legal way to get rid of unused medications. According to the DEA, rates of prescription drug abuse are increasing at alarming rates. Additionally, unused prescriptions that are flushed or thrown away can cause environmental problems.

“The goal of the program is to get these old unusable drugs off the shelves in peoples’ homes to reduce the likelihood of being used by someone who shouldn’t and also to reduce the likelihood that they’ll be put into the landfill or affect our water tables,” said Prince William Police Sgt. Reuben Castilla.

The take-back collection sites in Prince William County include Sentara Lake Ridge, Novant Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas and the Heathcote Health Center in Haymarket.

Intravenous solutions, injectables and needles will not be accepted. Neither will illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine.

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